Chapter 13: Dirty tricks

Elendar had no idea how many years had passed. All he knew was his dark cell where he had been locked up for all that time. Every few days they dragged him out, sometimes to just ask him the question what he had been doing on the surface. The other day he could be tortured for hours without any questions asked only to be locked up again for weeks in his dark cell. He received just enough food and water to stay alive and sometimes a health check up. Everything to keep him alive, barely, and to make him feel so miserable that he would scream for mercy. But to his martyrs dissatisfaction, he never yielded. His lips were sealed. No matter what they would do to him, he would never betray his love on the surface.

But even promises could be broken …

The door to his cell opened, a small beam of light from the fire brazier seeped in, enough to make Elendar close his eyes. He had become more sensitive to any light during his imprisonment.

Two males entered and picked him up from the ground. Elendar no longer protested. If he now fought back or not, he would be tortured anyway. So why lose energy before they would release their anger on him.

As by routine, he was bound to the cross, his hands above him, his legs to the wooden beams. The soldiers chained him without saying a word. They didn’t even look at him when they left the room. Elendar blinked with his eyes, trying to get used to the light of the fire.

The door opened and a female Drow entered the room. The female was dressed in a long black robe that only a Matron could wear, yet without any extra armor as was most common for Drow Matrons. And that was because the belly of the female was round and swollen. Clearly expecting and from the size of it, the babe would be born soon.

It made Elendar wonder why a high pregnant Drow female would take the risk to come to the torture quarters. Which female would risk her unborn by coming to the dungeons? But when Elendar looked up, he gasped for air. It was not his own Matron that stood before him, but Matron Nazira of House Doh’Arn. Her eyes looking at him, slightly narrowing to take in his condition, before a sleek smile formed on her lips while she walked up to him.

“May may, you are still alive.” Nazira whispered, tilting her head to look better at the bound male. “You are quite resilient, I need to admit.”

Her hand softly caressed his tattered shirt that was more holes then shirt.

“You are quite resistant, good stamina.” Nazira whispered, while her hand still stroked his body. Her eyes lingered for a second around his loins before she bends her head forward

“If you weren’t such a dirty traitor, I would gladly call you to my bed.” A whisper, clearly filled with lust, but also a certain satisfaction to see the male so defenseless hanging before her.

“I see that another has already satisfied your needs.” Elendar noted. 

He had expected for the Drowess to react, to lash out, but she only chuckled and took a few steps away, creating some distance.

“Glad you noticed.” The female purred, one of her hands rested safely on her round belly. “I wonder if you would have been as virile as your son.”

Elendar’s head shot up, a shocked expression on his face while his red eyes rested on the pregnant female.

“You … Breghen is the father!!??” He asked in disbelief. He first thought it was just another trick, another way to make his mind go crazy. But seeing the satisfaction in the eyes of Nazira, made clear that she wasn’t lying. The female chuckled, clearly smitten with the distressed reaction of the male.

“What did you do to him!?” He barked, pulling his chains, but they didn’t budge.

“Me? I invited him into my chamber, invited him into my bed. You know, he does know how to please a female. We could go on for hours. Such a delight.” The female chuckled, taking a few steps closer again, letting her hand caressed Elendar’s face. He gave her an angry glare, but it only seemed to satisfy the Matron.

“And from his moans that filled my room or the smile on his face when he fell exhausted at my side made clear that he enjoyed it himself.”

Elendar had to hold himself to yell out, to scream she was lying, but he knew that it would only please her more.

“Such a devoted father … and that to a son he has barely seen. You are quite the unique specimen. Having such a strong connection to creatures you barely know.” Nazira let her eyes go astray over his body again, before the lustful glare in her eyes disappeared.

“I only wonder if he feels the same.”

And like on cue, the door opened again, for a young man to enter. Elendar gasped when he recognized his own son. Only now, he realized how long he had been in that cell. The last time he had seen his son was during the demon ceremony, when he was forced to plant a dagger in his own son’s chest. Now he stood before him as a young male. Elendar would guess he was roughly sixteen years old by now. And from the shape of his body, the muscles on his arms, he had been training for years. 

But while he gave a sign of recognition, Breghen on his turn didn’t give a glance to his father. When he entered, he nodded with respect to Matron Nazira, but not like a common male. It was clear from the vibe between them, that the boy held a certain status, one that was higher than the rank of Elderboy. You would almost say he was granted with the respect of a Patron. No, Elendar could even say it was higher than that. 

“I’ll leave you two … have a happy reunion.” Nazira laughed, before she turned around, placing a small kiss on Breghen forehead before she left the cell, closing the door behind him.

“Breghen?” Elendar tried, but the young male turned to the side of the room, going towards the table where different devices were placed. Knives, chains, needles, whips.
On the shelves on the wall, there was a large collection of flasks with different liquids. Acids, potions, … anything to prolong the torture or make it as worst as possible. 

“Please, say something.” Elendar tried again, but the boy didn’t say a word. Instead, he grabbed one of the long whips, decorated with several sharp claws at the end of the rope and lashed out to the shackled male.

“Don’t you dare to speak to me, traitor!” Breghen barked, while Elendar screamed when the claws digged into his skin. Elendar looked up while gasping for air. He looked at his son's eyes, that were filled with hate and anger. There was no compassion. 

“What have they done to you?” Elendar asked, half a whisper. The whip flew through the air again, ripping his shirt even more, drawing blood that started to coak into the rags.

“They have done nothing.” the young boy said, while he started to circle before the stock, preparing himself for another hit.

“It is you that is the cause of my suffering!” Again the whip cracked, drawing even deeper wounds.

“You who decided to renounce your kin, to go to the surface.”

The whip flew again through the air, drawing red horizontal lines over Elendar’s stomach.

“It was you who plunged that dagger under my heart.”

This time he aimed for his face. Elendar could feel the whip scrape over his cheek, the stinging pain that came a few seconds after and the warm feeling of blood that dripped from the wound. 

“It is because of your betrayal that the Spider Queen took notice of me … and used me for her evil design!”

The boy took a few steps closer, giving his father a grin of satisfaction.

“But I need to thank you for it.” he grinned.

Elendar didn’t understand. While he gasped for air, he saw his son walking back to the table, to lay the whip back on it’s place.

“I … I’m sorry. This is not what I wanted for you. If I had known that …”

“That what!” Breghen barked while he turned around. 

“That they would use me as their tool? That I would become the victim of my sisters to release their anger on? Would that have held you to not break your vow to serve your kin and not go to the surface?”

The boy spat on the ground. “You would do it all again!”

Elendar knew that he was right. It had been a strange urge that had led him to the surface, but it had been so strong that he hadn’t been able to ignore it. More than once, a dream had shown him flashes of the surface, even when he had never set foot above ground. It had made him curious and it had been that unknown force that had helped him to reach the surface. 

“No, you are right …” Elendar said in a defeated tone, dropping his head to stare at the ground. He could hear his son chuckle.

“So, you admit that I am not worth fighting for?”

“No!” Elendar looked up again. “No, I … if you would not care for you, then tell me why I still care about you? I cared for you from the first moment you were born. I knew you were my son. Another male would not have these feelings. I was proud to have fathered a son!”

Breghen huffed. “Yet you still decided to only think about yourself and betray your House.”

Elendar sighed deeply, his hands moving in the shackles.

“I … Duscrain has never felt like my home. I have killed for this House, but I never felt satisfaction. I never felt the joy in killing an enemy like my comrades did. I was good at what I did, but I hated it.”

“You don’t like killing?” Breghen asked, his tone a bit softer while he still walked before the stock. 

Elendar shook his head. “No … I never felt that lust other males felt when they slain another. I … I was even revolted by it. I killed males, I killed females. But the worst of all were the children …”

“Children?” Breghen repeated, taking a few steps closer. Elendar could only nod. When two houses went to war, no one of the noble family was left alife and many of the lower rank fell to the blades as well. More than once, Elendar had gone with his troops, to annihilate another Drow House, including their children.

“I still hear their screams in my head, every night when I close my eyes. I can still see their faces clearly before me. Noble children … To young to even know what was the point of the slaughter of a House. The fear that flickered in their eyes.”

Elendar looked up, to see his son looking at him, his arms folded around him. His eyes were standing much softer and from his expression, Elendar saw that he was clearly listening.

“I was revolted. If this was the life I had to live … I no longer wanted to live. For a moment, I even thought I could take my own life and free me from this hell … but I was too weak to do it. And then those dreams came … “

“Dreams?” The boy asked, still listening.

“A way to the surface. They showed me visions of the night sky, littered with stars … and the bright moon.It all looked so peaceful.”

The male gave a soft smile. “I thought that when you would be grown up, that I could take you with me. To show you this other life.”

“You still can …” Breghend said, this time shifting a bit on his feet. 

Elendar could only look at him with curious eyes. That strong determination from a few minutes before was gone, revealing the demeanor of a young boy. 

“Do you know what that ceremony has done to me?” He asked while he looked with shy eyes to his father. Elendar could only shake his head. He was already surprised that his son had been able to survive that blood ritual.

The young boy took the scimitar from its scabbard and raised it up. Elendar could only watch as the boy let the sword cut his hand and for the blood to ripple over the sword. Out of nowhere, flames suddenly covered the sword. Elendar gasped when he saw that the veins on the boy were glowing, pulsating with energy.

“This … This is the result of the ritual?” The male asked in disbelief. The boy closed his hand to seal the wound and lowered his sword.

“The power of fire, ice, poison and lightning runs through my veins. For giving a part of my life, my blood … I receive  these powers to wield. But they drain energy and if I am not careful, they can drain more than I have. House Doh’Arn has taught me how to control it.”

Elendar was still impressed with what he saw, but at the same time he also felt revolted. He saw how the magic was running in his son's body and even from showing that small piece of his skills, he saw how it was eating up his energy. If he used this magic too long … it would damage his body beyond repair …

“I saw that Doh’Arn has learned you more then just to control your powers …” Elendar averted his eyes, the words spoken with a certain disgust. It was a slight trick to see if the boy really cared. If he would lash out … but he didn’t. There was no angry snark, no weapon that flew through the air to wound him.

“Were you able to refuse when Matron Sharadreza called you to her quarters?”

Elendar looked up again, only to see the defeated expression on his son's face. He knew that you, as Drow male, were not able to refuse. By the Underdark itself, your life was forfeited if you dared to refuse. To be called to a Matron’s bed was the highest honor a male could receive and many would grab that chance with both hands. Even when there were enough stories that not all men got out of the bed alive … Some Matrons could be so jealous that they killed the male, then to let it roam around for another female to claim. 

Elendar shook his head, knowing his son was right. He would not be standing here if he would have refused. But that still didn’t mean Elendar wasn’t disgusted at the sighed of Matron Nazira, who was carrying his son’s child … his grandchild!

“I … I wish I could have saved you from this life.” Elendar whispered. He could feel the tears sting in his eyes. Something that even to him, was a rare occurrence.

“I could have given you so much more, a safe life. A life away from dominating females, from that bitch of a Spider Queen who only wants to see us suffer.”

“Is that what you found on the surface?” Breghen asked softly, while he lowered the flames on his sword before putting it back at his side.

Elendar sighed. “Yes … and so much more. I found love on the surface. I am aware that you don’t know what that is, love … but … I do. And I know that this is not the life I would want for myself. If it hadn’t been for you … I would have never returned to the Underdark and stayed on the surface.”

“Love?” Breghen repeated, letting out that he didn’t know what the word meant. Love was an emotion unknown to Drow. Even in marriage, there was no love for Drow. Desire, possession, … and if you would see traces of love in a couple, be certain that it would be overshadowed by jealousy. For soon the female would doubt the loyalty of her mate and kill him for even the slightest suspect that he was no longer loyal to her.

“You met someone on the surface? Is that why you betrayed your kin?”

The tone of the boy’s voice suddenly changed. It turned harsher, more demanding. The compassion that Elendar had felt a few moments before had vanished.

“I …” Elendar started, startled by the sudden change of tone. 

“So you decided to fall in love with a surface creature, is that it?”

Breghen slammed his hands at both sides of Elendar’s head on the stock, who could only look with wide open eyes to the anger that flared up in his son’s eyes.

“All this pain, all this suffering, … for nothing more than a fling on the surface world?”

“It’s not a fling!” Elendar growled .”You shouldn’t talk about something you have no idea of. At least what I feel is real! Better than that fake affection that bitch gives you.”

Breghens fist slammed Elendar’s face when he heard those words, and released a snarl on his turn.

“Don’t you talk about my Matron like that!!”

“Your Matron?” Elendar spat back. “Sharadreza is still your Matron and mother. Who is betraying who now?? You are still a Duscrain!”

Elendar could see that Breghen was losing his control. But between the flares of anger, he could swear he also saw a hint of doubt. If Elendar was right, then where was Breghen really standing in this dark underworld? But as quick as the doubt had flared up, as quick it faded away, making room for the anger to rise again.

“It seems you really care for what you have found on the surface …” Breghen said with a sleek voice, a grin adorning his face.

“It seems a visit needs to be arranged for the surface …”

“NO!” Elendar barked, his voice a mixture of defeat and anger.

“Don’t you dare to hurt her!! You are nothing but a tool for these women! They have hurt you your entire life and still you follow them blindly? Open your eyes, Breghen! You can be more than this!!”

“Pain that you caused me!” The accused toon cut through Elendar like a knife, because he knew he was right. If he hadn’t been such a fool, this wouldn’t have happened and his son would be the Elderboy of House Duscrain and not the tool of Doh’Arn. But the Drow male would do it all again, for he had seen something that was impossible to find in the Underdark. He had learned something his own kind still had to learn.

With a defeated sigh he dropped his head down, only to hear his son chuckle.

“So this is my proud father? Brought down on his knees because of something called love. Disgusting!” The boy spat on the ground, turning around, ready to leave the room.

“You should listen to him …”

Breghen was startled by the sudden voice in his head. A voice he hadn’t heard for years. The last time he could remember it was when he was suffering at his trial. It was the same voice that had protected him from the attacking demons. For a second, it dazzled the boy, wondering why he suddenly heard those words in his mind, but he quickly shook his head to open the door and leave the room.

When he could hear the door closing, Elendar started to weep in silence, knowing that he had broken his promise ...